Contributor

As a usual response to such questions (which are actually perfectly reasonable) is to direct the person who asks the question to the 'FAQ' section, (rather than taking the time to answer the question asked), it might be a good idea to actually show the full naming system there as well.

Moderator

Staff Member

As a usual response to such questions (which are actually perfectly reasonable) is to direct the person who asks the question to the 'FAQ' section, (rather than taking the time to answer the question asked), it might be a good idea to actually show the full naming system there as well.

If you look at the top 50 thread, you'll note that that pretty much captures the ranks above G5. i.e. there are only about 50 users with said titles, many of us hiding behind other titles like Mod, Mod emeritus, Demi-god, God, or even Guest.

If you look at the top 50 thread, you'll note that that pretty much captures the ranks above G5. i.e. there are only about 50 users with said titles, many of us hiding behind other titles like Mod, Mod emeritus, Demi-god, God, or even Guest.

B

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Thanks for posting this. I actually had checked the FAQ section when the changed numerical requirements came into force, and noted that nothing was mentioned (apart from the all purpose word 'etc' which I love myself) above G5. And, for what it is worth, I'm not at all clear about what happens after that, because I have not sat down and looked at the threads you have mentioned in any detail. Nevertheless, (a sorry confession, this), I'm the sort of nerd who likes lists, and dates, and facts.....

However, it seems to me that there are two separate issues here. One is the tendency to direct newbies to the FAQ rather than answering their questions. Personally, I think it is possible to do both, if you already know the answer - quite often, it takes at least as much, or as little, time to answer the question asked as it does to tell someone to look up the FAQ, and I think it important to try to make newcomers to the forum welcome rather than a bit of a nuisance for asking a question that most others already know the answer to. We were all blissfully ignorant of such things once upon a time.

However, even allowing for that, I think on this particular issue it sort of misses the point to direct newbies to a FAQ which does not, in fact, really answer the question asked.

Is there a reason for the fact that the designations above G5 are not public knowledge? And if there is, why not post that very reason in that particular section of the FAQ after the designation for G5, so that people will not be made to feel like utter twits when they look it up and realise that it doesn't really tell them what they wanted to know.

Personally, I'm not sure why there is a perceived need to keep such information behind closed doors, apart from advertising the allure of hidden or forbidden knowledge, unless it is a work in progress.

Indeed, on a forum such as this, an extraordinarily high percentage of the users are nerds, or geeks, of some description of another. As such, I would argue that an unusually high number of the participants of this forum are the sort who love numbers, and strange sequences of numbers, and the sort of obscure links which tie one set of numbers and titles to another. Therefore, keeping such (the higher titles) obscured, serves, I suspect, to tantalise, (perhaps frustrate) nerdish members, whereas informing them of these numbers/titles would serve to fulfil a sort of giddy satisfaction with oneself, (for, these are worlds which are ordered according to numbered titles and sequences), or, perhaps might serve to give the more - ah, motivated, shall we phrase it? - something stratospheric to aim for.

However, at the end of the day, I'm not sure that I really want to contact the admins about something such as this; I don't feel strongly about it, either way. My post was prompted by the fact that a response directing newbies to FAQ - in this instance - does not serve to fully address the question asked, as FAQ doesn't answer it. However, feel free to forward this post, instead, if you think it may benefit discussions on the topic.

However, it seems to me that there are two separate issues here. One is the tendency to direct newbies to the FAQ rather than answering their questions.

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I generally agree with you. However given the fact that we just changed the levels makes the FAQ the only authoritative place to get the information that is sought. it could be different the next time this thread comes up in a search. Posting the table or a paragraph expanding on it just leads to stale information.

However, even allowing for that, I think on this particular issue it sort of misses the point to direct newbies to a FAQ which does not, in fact, really answer the question asked.

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Again, in this case the question asked is fully answered by the FAQ. The FAQ contains all the levels for "Newbie, Member, Regular, etc....." up through G5. They specifically did not ask for the higher levels only the lower ones.

Unfortunately anything beyond this is really in the admins' hands. Only they can set the levels and write the FAQs.

Contributor

I generally agree with you. However given the fact that we just changed the levels makes the FAQ the only authoritative place to get the information that is sought. it could be different the next time this thread comes up in a search. Posting the table or a paragraph expanding on it just leads to stale information.

Again, in this case the question asked is fully answered by the FAQ. The FAQ contains all the levels for "Newbie, Member, Regular, etc....." up through G5. They specifically did not ask for the higher levels only the lower ones.

Unfortunately anything beyond this is really in the admins' hands. Only they can set the levels and write the FAQs.

B

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Why, thank you very much for the time and trouble you have taken to attempt to address my query; it is appreciated, as, like an enervating itch, bizarrely, this had become embarrassingly persistent.

In any case, I have dukebound85 to thank for putting me out of my misery. He posted the aforementioned 'top 50' (originally posted by Dr Q) which gave the top 25 posters along with what can described as their new designations in the MR universe. Sad to relate, really, but there are those of us who attempt to put order on a chaotic world by perusing lists, and lists.....those with facts, strange nouns, and odder numbers. So, I think that I now may have some idea of what is going on. Sigh. I really like this stuff....how sad an admission is that?

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